Stop Dressing Like a Clown and People Will Stop Treating You Like One

Could be a genius under that clown costume but we’ll never see it

One of the biggest things that young people entering the workforce need coaching on is how to dress professionally. If you come to work or to a job interview with tattoos, earrings or wild hair (cornrows, mullet, whatever the new thing is to “express yourself”), you should not be surprised if people make assumptions about you or your work product.

Dave Chappelle probably describes it best (warning: some explicit language used). While the situation in the workplace is not quite as extreme (usually), I think you get the point. I’ve mentioned this advice I was given before but I’ll say it again: dress for the job you want to have. If you dress like an immature college grad, a circus clown, or a person who has never seen an iron in his/her life, don’t get mad when that’s exactly how people treat you.